Tips

The following are the tips and tricks related to cooking/kitchen tips/ cleaning/healthy food etc, shared by the visitors of site SindhiRasoi.com. It is just an attempt to share bits of wisdom and knowledge of individual people with others, so as to make life easier, while working in a kitchen in our day to day life.

Disclaimer*If any Tip shared here is already subjected to copyright, kindly let us know. We asked people to share their valuable tips, but cannot assure that the tips will work for anyone and everyone. So kindly follow these with caution.

If you have any valuable tip, no matter how great or small, kindly share with us, via Comment section at the end of this post.For now just have a look to all the helpful kitchen tips and some of the best cooking tips.

If the food gets burnt while cooking,do not try to stir it.Just place the whole kadai/pan in a big bowl of water for a while and then carefully remove the part which is not burnt.This way,the food doesn’t taste burnt!!

Hi Alka, i love your blog thanks for the give away. Here is my tip, To keep the store brought masalas or home made sambar powder/rasam powder fresh for long time after opening the packet store them in freezer.

baking soda will remove coffee and tea stains from a mug or tea cup.I hear that if you have a lit candle burning while you cut an onion the gas the onion puts out will go to the flame and not burn your eyes,this is what my sister tells me so I plan on trying that sometime,she says you can just turn on the gas on your stove and that works too.I have yet to find one of these onion tricks that actually work.

After boiling potatoes, let them cool down for a few minutes & start peeling off the skin by hand. You will see how easily the skin comes off. No need for a peeler. I do it all the time. Try it friends…..

Here’s my tip. To use less oil while sauteing onions for upma or any other gravy, you can microwave the chopped onions for 2 mins and then saute it in oil, it takes less time and less oil. I sometimes use boiling water to cook my onions thoroughly and wait till all the water is evaporated before I add the other ingredients. This works especially well for kanda/batata poha.

if u r not having siver polish in the store u can clean them with the ash coming from incenses,rub with the duster, mirror n glass table could be clean with viniger, rub it with news paper or kitchen paper, block of remaining solid cheese, rap in foil rather than cello paper .veg: could be kept in news papers in the frige ,to absorb the moisture.some days u can rub the sodapowder “a pinch”on u r teath 4 whitning

While pressure cooking food, if you want to check in middle, just take pressure cooker off the stove and put cold water on it. You can instantly open the cover and check the food. You will lose pressure in it, but will be able to check the food. You can then either cook or stop same if satisfied.

Tip1: How to make old and stone cold idlis soft?? Microwaving won’t do the trick. Just put back the Idlis in the Idli vessel and steam it for 5 minutes just as you would the Idli batter. No one would believe that those soft Idlis were hard like stones 5 minutes prior.

How to remove an Avocado Stone(A trick I learnt from Food N/W)? After halving an avocado, give a thwack on the stone either with a Santoku knife or Butcher’s knife. Then Gently twist sideways to remove the stone. Before knowing this,I used to dig the stone out using fingers and it was a messy job.

When you only want to eat or use half an avocado, cut it in half long ways, and leave the pit in one of the sides. Then wrap the unused half in clingwrap and leave in the fridge for 1 to 3 days (depending on ripeness of avocado). Leaving the pit in keeps it a lot fresher!

Rubbing a cut onion on a warm cast iron tava or pan meant for dosa will save a lot of time in making crispy and non sticky dosa. This helps me a lot when at times dosa gets too stuck in the pan..Thanks for this giveaway…

My tip is for making upma mix for making instant upma later. Make a tadka/phodni with dry ingredients like mustard, urad dal, peanuts, red chillies, cloves, cinnamon etc. Add the rava to it and roast. Add salt sugar and switch off the flame. You can also add the dry dessicated coconut that you get in stores. Make this is big quantities and on a lazy morning, all you have to do it boil water and add this mix (I add 2 cups of water for 1 cup of the mix) and also add frozen veggies if you want. I have used these mixes extensively when traveling. I think you can keep this mix in the refrigerator and use it for long. Also you can make the perfect upma if you use the rice cooker.

When cooking food, if you have to put chopped tomato in the pot in which you are cooking, what you can do is, Start cutting the tomato directly into the pot. The juices from the tomato fall directly into the pot, so you are not wasting the tomato. Dont worry about the flame of gas. It wont hurt. Initially you may not like my idea but once you start doing this it will help you.

No need to chop the tomato on the cutting board. I used to waste all the juice from the tomato, when cutting on the board until I started cutting directly into the pot.

Dry nus: To chop dry nuts, place them in the fridge for half an hour before cutting. Take the nuts out and cut them with a hot knife (dip it in hot water before cutting). This helpful kitchen tip helps the process of cutting dry fruits easier.I usually store my opened packets of dry nuts in refrigerator they stay fresh longer

1)Store tomatoes with stems pointed down and they will stay fresher, longer!

2)Potatoes: To keep them from budding, place an apple in the bag with potatoes

3)To keep cauliflower white while cooking -add a little milk to the water!

4)Add a pinch of sugar while cooking spinach and green leafy vegetables, it will retain its green colour

5)Never store an apple near a banana unless you want to ripen the banana in a short period of time

6)Avoid eggplant (brinjal) turning black by putting the cut pieces in a bowl of water mixed with a spoon of milk.

7)Mushrooms readily absorb water, even from atmosphere – they should never be washed. Instead wipe them with a clean and damp cloth

8)While storing green chilies, remove the stems. This will help the chilies to stay fresh for a longer time

9)Cut the top of the carrot and store in air tight bag. This will keep it fresh for a longer period!Put the bananas in a black plastic bag before keeping it in the refrigerator – skin will not turn black and they will come out yellow even after a week! Lemon juice added to carrot cooking water will help keep the color bright.

10)Reduce the burning sensation after cutting green chillies by keeping the fingers in a bowl of cold milk added with some sugar

11)Cut the top of the carrot and store in air tight bag. This will keep it fresh for a longer period!Put the bananas in a black plastic bag before keeping it in the refrigerator – skin will not turn black and they will come out yellow even after a week! Lemon juice added to carrot cooking water will help keep the color bright!

12)To keep celery fresh for long time, wrap it in aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator

13)To preserve green peas, keep them in a polythene bag in the freezer

14)If the lemon or lime is hard, put it in warm water for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to squeeze

15)Place overripe tomatoes in cold water and add some salt. Overnight they will become firm and fresh

a)Slit Karelas inthe middle and apply a mixture of salt, wheat flour and curd all round. Keep aside for 1/2 an hour and then cook. This will take away some of the bitterness.

or

b)This is a keeper-i always do this when making karelas-

When making whole stuffed karelas,wash,peel the skin wit spoon and make a slit lengthwise and boil karela with tamarind/jaggery/peppercons/salt/cumin seeds..remove.. 80% of the bitterness wil b gone and the karelas would b more flavorful ..try it and dont throw the water…sieve it and drink the goodness..

1)Whole Stuffed Okra-Steam Okra( i use rice cooker) first along with the stuffing,remove on paper towels and then roast on a skillet while making Whole Stuffed Okra.This wil save time and wil take less oil to fry.

Hey Alka! I’ll leave with a very simple tip – when you get fresh herbs like coriander, parsley, mint or any leafy herb, get it home, let it airdry for 15-20 mins if it seems wet and then wrap it up neatly (completely) in a kitchen towel (paper towel) and pack that into a ziploc bag. Remove excess air from the ziploc and seal and this goes into the fridge! This way the herbs stay fresh for almost a month!!! Hope this helps

I just remembered another one – always, always freeze overripe bananas in a ziploc bag if you do not want to eat/use them immediately. This way you can have bananas ready for smoothies and baking whenever you want!

Dear Alka,Great tht i found u,actually this was my first comment,but i saw tht there was some problem submitting it…anyways better late than never…U hv a lovley space with simple easy to adapt recipe with clear texts,wonderful pics and above all wonderful posts on sindhi cuisine…wil surely try some and add those to ur link…heading to the archives…following u so tht i dont miss ur amazing innovative and unique recipes..do drop @ my space too when time permits…

Gargle your mouth with sesame oil early in the morning before brushing your teeth. This will kill all germs and its a natural mouth cleanser and freshener. It will clean the stomach and will cure all ulcers in the mouth.

Microwave Food splatters – To easily remove this mess, place a sponge soaked in water or just a dish filled with 1/2 cup water in the microwave. Cook on high heat for 2 minutes. The filth is now ready to be wiped right off – no scrubbing!

Microwave Odors: Keep a cup of baking soda in the microwave between uses.

Besides a large wooden cutting board, I keep two small cutting boards that slide in neatly next to the microwave – one wood and one plastic – for quick and small chopping jobs. I use wood for herbs, fruits, and veggies; plastic for meats. It’s more sanitary using plastic for meats so the juices don’t soak into your wood board!

It’s difficult to keep fresh herbs on hand – especially when you only need a tablespoon or so, it wilts and wastes. Check out stores like Trader Joes – they have frozen fresh cubes of many herbs like basil! They store in the freezer and are ready when you need them!

I read somewhere that if by any chance you add double the salt or you find that your curry (sambar, rasam or any gravy) is substantially salty, take a block of skinned ginger and put it inside when the curry is boiling. It is said that it takes away the excess salt.

I have not tried it.. Just wanted to share. If it does, I think we are all in great luck..:)

tips for lemons or limes : Larger lemons and limes tend to be sweeter. Also the thinner the skin the more juice! Warm them slightly to extract even more juice – you can put them in the microwave for 20 seconds or so before cutting them.

Easy tip but very very useful -My non indian frnds often ask me how to make soft chapathis-

Tip for making soft chappati dough-While making paneer from milk, don’t throw away the paneer water. This nutritious water can be used for making soft dough for chapatis or can be used to cook dals.After kneading let the dough rest for atleast 20min.

Cleaning A Messy Blender : To clean a blender, add a cup of warm water, run for a few seconds. Now add a drop of dishwashing detergent and another cup of water and blend. Let is sit for a few seconds. Rinse clean..the smell also goes off .

Strong odors on your hands (such as onions or fish) can be removed by lightly wetting your hands and then sprinkling on baking soda. Rub the soda all over the hands, then rinse the soda away and the odours too

When cilantro and mint is in season and much more cheaper u can store them.

Storing Cilantro & Mint leaves : Clean, wash and chop cilantro or mint leaves finely. Fill each cube in a ice cube tray with the finely chopped cilantro or mint leaves. Top each cube with cold water and freeze. The cilantro or mint cubes can be dropped into curries etc. on an as needed basis

You have a lovely site and I have already planned to cook a few dishes for the T&T event!

Yip: To remove grime from dishes,pans and non stick cookware, wet the dish and sprinkle baking soda thoroughly over it. leave it overnight and wash as usual the next day. Dishes should sparkle. Vinegar could also be used the same way. it helps in removing tea stains effectively.

Use the avocado half without the pit, and leave the pit in the other avocado half. Press plastic wrap onto avocado flesh and place in refrigerator. This will minimize browning until you are ready to use the rest of your avocado..

You can use flaxseed meal to replace up to 1/4 cup of oil in recipes. You use it in a 3 to 1 ratio. If your recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of oil, you use 3 tablespoons of flaxseed meal. If your recipe calls for 1/4 cup of oil you use 3/4 cup flax meal. If your recipe calls for more than 1/4 cup of oil, you can replace part of it with flaxseed meal and make up the difference with unsweetened applesauce(i use homemade) if you don’t want to use oil.

You can also use flaxseed oil to replace an egg. Use 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal and 3 tablespoons water. You can replace up to two eggs in a recipe in this manner, but do not use flaxseed meal as an egg replacement if you are already using it as an oil replacement.

I put curry leaves in the end when I make ghee.It adds a lot of flavor to the ghee.Also instead of throwing the orange peels in the trash I throw them into the garbage disposal it really adds a nice smell to the kitchen.My mom throws away the fruit and vegetable peels to the soil around the plants and that makes a nice compost.

You can store onions in the refrigerator for up to six months! Just wrap them individually in foil. You can also freeze them, but first peel, wash, core them, then place onions in a plastic bag and freeze

sometimes milk starts to curdle or gets sour taste during summer times then one could make good paneer or chenna out of it by adding some more malai into it which not only make paneer more some soft but one gets more yield out of mixture

Paneer can be made by splitting milk by adding lemon juice or a few drops of vinegar then when pour mixture into a muslin cloth and put weight over it till water drains this paneer can be used a in a lot of sweet and savoury dishes

sometimes leftover rice can be made into various delicasies ie by adding some spices herbs and chickpea flour and making it into delicious pakoras like a starter or by making into main course dish by adding few veggies or chicken or egg and spices making into fried rice or by adding some milk and sugar dryfruits and elachi just like a rice pudding or kheer this will be good dessert

boiled potatoes are a boon one can create a lot of dishes from leftover potatoes they can be added into leftover dry sabzis and be made into cutlets or used has paratha stuffings or can also be fried into pakoras or be made in mash or can used alongwith mixed veges to make baked dish or jacket potaoes if skins are left on which are delecious with cheesy filling or one can add paneer or methi to it and create new dish adding spices and herbs wow list is endless

Keep all your recipes in a three-ring binder in the kitchen. If the recipe is from a cookbook, photocopy it; if it’s from the internet, print it; if it’s a family/personal recipe, type it and then print it. Keep copies on your computer in case the copy you’re using gets wet or dirty. This way you won’t get stains and spills on your cookbooks and you can take the one recipe out that you need and put it on the refrigerator with a magnet while you’re using it.

Crack eggs on a flat surface, such as the counter, rather than on the side of a bowl. This prevents eggshell shards from getting into the food and is less likely to contaminate your food with germs from the eggshell.

To keep a recipe handy while cooking, clamp it inside a skirt hanger and hang it from your cupboard handle. This frees up counter space and prevents you from losing your place in your cookbook or magazine.

A full refrigerator is more efficient than a half-empty one because the food stored inside radiates cold when the refrigerator isn’t running. If your fridge isn’t usually full, store jugs full of water in it to increase efficiency.

Use a rack like the one musicians use, (to keep the musical score while playing an instrument) to keep the recipe/recipe book you are using, in your kitchen. It will make you feel like an artiste, practising the fine art of cooking!!

Mix sooji into leftover dal (any cooked dal, even sambar will do), and the flavours and herbs of your choice– garam masala, chaat masala, coriander, mint, kasuri methi….add any of chopped onions, tomatoes, capsicums, carrots etc if you like. Fry like pancakes on a non-stick tawa. The result is quite close to the sindhi ‘chilro’

if ur body has over heat..to get rid of it…boil 2 glasses of water with 1 spoon of corinader seeds…let it become half qunatity …then cool it..add a spoon of sugar and then drink…. heat in the body comes down

4 thoughts on “Tips”

While making stuffed parathas such as that of radish or cauliflower after grating squeeze them in the muslin cloth . The excess water will drain and you can then stuff them and easily make tasty parathas.